Jiang Xiaofeng left.
He took only a small bottle of firewater.
Before leaving, Jiang Xiaofeng told Katarina that she had to keep an eye on her younger brother and not let him explore any farther. If possible, they should return to the level above and regroup with the other Fatui Skirmishers.
After doing all this, Jiang Xiaofeng left.
Jiang Xiaofeng also hoped to change this ending.
But plans were not set in stone.
When Jiang Xiaofeng met Katarina, a sudden idea struck him: he wanted to see their resolve as members of the Fatui.
If Katarina's younger brother still refused to listen and insisted on exploring, Jiang Xiaofeng had nothing more to say. After all, Katarina might not believe what a stranger told her.
But if he simply holed up in camp and stopped going out, Jiang Xiaofeng would not interfere with him much either.
Jiang Xiaofeng just wanted to see how much resolve these Fatui members had when it came to their mission.
Would they disregard death and keep searching for the truth?
Or would they cherish their lives and retreat elsewhere?
Jiang Xiaofeng respected either choice.
He could save the siblings once and for all.
But why should he?
He was merely "doing what he could" to make up for the emotional gut punches in the game's story from his previous life...
Jiang Xiaofeng soon arrived at the final gate.
As usual, he called back the Cursed Sword, slashed the gate open, and walked inside.
"Holy shit..."
The moment Jiang Xiaofeng entered, the entire underground space stunned him.
He couldn't help it. Jiang Xiaofeng had never-no, absolutely never-seen such an enormous underground space.
An incredibly huge... space...
Jiang Xiaofeng felt his language module couldn't describe it...
Jiang Xiaofeng shook his head and came back to his senses.
Jiang Xiaofeng flung out the Cursed Sword.
"You know the drill. Demolish the five platforms, then help yourself to whatever filth is left."
The Cursed Sword circled Jiang Xiaofeng once and flew straight off.
Jiang Xiaofeng spread his dragon wings, flew over to the two Waypoints, and activated them.
Then Jiang Xiaofeng moved above the "Skyfrost Nail."
"Ah, whether in the game or now, it still feels so awe-inspiring."
Jiang Xiaofeng sighed as he looked at the Skyfrost Nail, which emitted a soft blue glow.
The only blemish was the strange black-and-red patterns over that beautiful blue light...
But those patterns soon faded...
Jiang Xiaofeng glanced back at the Cursed Sword, which was happily chopping up several Rifthounds, and nodded.
"The Cursed Sword really is that unreasonable."
Then Jiang Xiaofeng turned back around.
Rifthounds...
Bleeding dogs...
Wait...
Holy shit?!
Jiang Xiaofeng suddenly looked back.
A large Thundercraven Rifthound flew out in front of the Cursed Sword.
The other, smaller ones had all been chopped into severed limbs by the Cursed Sword. Not even that alternate space could save them...
"Hold on!"
Jiang Xiaofeng roared and hurled Acceptance, blocking the Cursed Sword's unstoppable thrust and saving the last Rifthound's life.
The Cursed Sword: "?"
Jiang Xiaofeng rushed over and dragged the last large Rifthound straight out of the alternate space.
The Rifthound: "?"
Are you here to save me?
Jiang Xiaofeng planted his foot on the Rifthound's slender waist, looked it over, and marveled with a click of his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at this tiny waist. How many girls in Huaxia would envy it?"
Then Jiang Xiaofeng knocked the Rifthound unconscious with a punch.
While the Rifthound was reeling, Jiang Xiaofeng popped out his flying head and swiftly possessed it.
The Rifthound twitched and rolled, then soon stopped moving.
But after a moment of stillness, the Rifthound suddenly became active again, opening up alternate space and leaping wildly.
"Hahahaha! What an amazing power!"
The Beheaded hound gleefully leaped through space, enjoying the Rifthound's abilities to the fullest.
He didn't even notice the abnormality in the system inside him...
"Special power detected. System awakening..." "Deviation in the worldline detected! Repairing... repair failed... absorbing special energy..." "System upgrading..." "..."
Even if Jiang Xiaofeng had come to his senses, he would not have noticed these words.
After all, the system and Jiang Xiaofeng each harbored their own secrets. Perhaps...
Jiang Xiaofeng finally stopped.
The Cursed Sword had long since run off to harvest the remaining altars, while the flesh-and-blood body in which he had obtained his Vision still lay there.
Jiang Xiaofeng left the Rifthound's body, returned to his human body, and put away this precious "shell."
Then Jiang Xiaofeng popped out his flying head and devoured the fragments of the Rifthounds' severed limbs on the ground.
He didn't know what use they might have, but what if they proved useful?
It was better than nothing...
Watching the Skyfrost Nail's exterior rapidly turn blue again, Jiang Xiaofeng flew over.
Suddenly, the Skyfrost Nail descended and hung in midair.
Jiang Xiaofeng looked at the level platform below and smiled.
"Just what I wanted."
"I was worrying about how to find that big guy, and here's something theoretically even better!"
Jiang Xiaofeng transformed everything except his head into dragon form and dropped straight down.
The moment Jiang Xiaofeng landed, the entire platform began trembling violently.
Then an elongated object made of parts and a drill bit emerged from beneath the platform, aiming at Jiang Xiaofeng.
Jiang Xiaofeng thrust out his chest.
The drill spun at high speed and shot straight toward Jiang Xiaofeng's chest!
At that very instant-
Bzzzt-
A huge purple shield crackling with electricity appeared in front of Jiang Xiaofeng and took the blow head-on!
At the same time, an incredibly powerful current erupted from the shield, instantly disrupting the serpent's tail!
The serpent froze for an instant!
But that instant was enough!
Jiang Xiaofeng returned to human form and slapped his right hand against the ground. An enormous stone pillar, almost identical to those summoned by the Geo Hypostasis, rose from the center of the platform and lifted the paralyzed Ruin Serpent!
At the same time, the Ruin Serpent had already recovered and was frantically trying to drill down through the stone pillar!
Jiang Xiaofeng smiled.
"Gimel's power-no, I should say Geo power-is really handy."
Jiang Xiaofeng clenched his fist.
"But I don't have much Geo left in reserve. I'll have to find time to borrow some from Gimel..."
Jiang Xiaofeng shook his head lightly and looked at the Ruin Serpent crawling down the side of the stone pillar. "Let's deal with you first."
Jiang Xiaofeng raised his left hand.
At the same time, his Vision shone brightly!
Large numbers of bubbles appeared on the Ruin Serpent and burst!
At the same time, an enormous amount of Cryo swept toward the Ruin Serpent!
The Ruin Serpent was instantly frozen solid.
Jiang Xiaofeng flew up, left his body, stowed it in his backpack, and slipped inside the Ruin Serpent.
Soon, the Ruin Serpent broke free of the ice, trembling as it lay atop the slowly collapsing stone pillar...
Its bright single eye was gradually enveloped in black light, as though its radiance were being swallowed by the Abyss.
Soon, the light in its single eye went out.
The next moment, a cross-shaped light shone in the serpent's single eye!
The Cursed Sword rushed over and circled the Ruin Serpent.
Jiang Xiaofeng put the Cursed Sword into his backpack from a distance.
At the same time, he felt the might the Ruin Serpent possessed.
Then he raised his enormous head-
"Roar-!"